Contents

History

Pre-Compliance

The Oteal System is a turbulent system of planets which came into the Imperium with great reservations. Originally Kych and the former twin Cipaar planets contained the primary inhabitants under the protection of a series of Knight Clans who ruled over vast city states. At some point well before the Great Crusade set out from Terra, a Mechanicum exploratory fleet arrived in the system and established itself on the mineral rich world of Baylon.

Within two centuries the Mechnicum forces, now known as the Kazitian Synod, on Baylon had spread to the systems outer world, renaming it Dur-Kazit, and created a vast network of orbiting defence stations and converting the entire world into a veritable fortress. Sealing the system off from its neighbours and the regular trade which flowed through to the Knight Worlds, the Kazitian Synod demanded the allegiance of the three Knight Worlds under the formation a Baylonian Conclave.

Believing themselves to be militarily superior to the reclusive Priests, the Knight Houses united and rejected the ultimatum; mustering on Cipaar-Yahrum in preparation for the inevitable war. The Kazitian Synod, however, had not been idle since their founding on Baylon, in response to the rejection the Synod mobilised its Navy.

The subsequent war was brief. The Synod fleet punched through the overconfident planetary defences and quickly encircled Cipaar-Yahrum, giving them a single day to surrender; still believing that their forces could withstand a ground war the Knight Houses refused. Without hesitation the Synod unleashed twin stage cyclonic warheads against the planet, less than two days after issuing the call for surrender the planet was gone, replaced by a swirling field of debris, slowly stretching out to what was to become the Yahrum belt. When the Synod fleet, already encircling Cipaar-Amnam, issued their second call for surrender, the remaining planets, now largely defenceless, quickly complied.

Although merciless in its execution of the war, the Synod did not view the Knight worlds with disdain or contempt, but rather they saw potential and as such invested heavily in the worlds. Cipaar-Amnam, now known simply as Cipaar, suffered greatly from the destruction of its twin, tidal patterns were thrown in chaos and planet wide flooding ensued. Within months of the wars conclusion the Synod had established huge orbiting ‘counter weights’ around the planet to bring the rampant tidal patterns into check. New factories and manufactorum plants were built on Kych to help replace the colossal loses of Knights and colonies were established on the worlds of Uruq and Laigach to help expand the newly formed Baylonian Conclave.

Compliance

By the time the first Imperial scout ships entered the Baylonian Conclave the system had grown into a powerful player in the Sub-Sectors trade arena as well as being renowned for offering its mighty Knight Houses as mercenary armies. Situated in a prime location towards the centre of the Sub-Sector, the only reason the Conclave had not expanded to become a multi system empire was due to the Synods’ lack of desire to enter the political arena and to maintain its mild isolationist stance.

While the initial stages of communication between the Conclave and the 597th Crusade Fleet were cordial it quickly became apparent that the Synod was not even considering bending knee to the Emperor. Affronted at the perceived insult from the emotionless Synod representatives for dragging the negotiations out, the Crusade Fleets commander, an Imperial Fist Captain by the name of Vilnor, ordered a more aggressive approach. Cajoling turned to pressuring, which in turn gave way to veiled intimidations and finally outright threats, all of which were ignored in the blank faced manner of the Synod who responded with the standard; “The Baylonian Conclave will consider your proposal and give you our answer in due time.”

The first actions of open aggression came when the Crusade Fleet levelled an embargo on the Conclave and all incoming and outgoing trade vessels, an embargo which the Synod ignored. The records indicate that the first shots were actually fired by Imperial forces triggering a cascading avalanche of retaliatory salvos back and forth. This first conflict, known as the Vilnor incident, actually lasted for three full days and resulted in dozens of Imperial capital ships destroyed by the mammoth defence ring of Dur-Kazit followed by its orbital bombardment at the hands of the furious Imperial Fists Captain.

Before either side could launch a second offensive the burgeoning war was defused by the arrival of a large Mechanicum fleet direct from Mars itself with orders from Terra to take over the Compliance action. Rather than pursuing the military path which Vilnor had initiated the Priests reopened lines of communication with the Baylonian Conclave, this time as one Magos to another, even still the damage caused by Vilnor Incident made any progress difficult.
After a further two weeks of negotiations the Martian delegation emerged and declared, to the stunned Astartes command, the Compliance. The delegation had successfully negotiated the surrender and Compliance of the Baylonain Conclave on the conditions that the worlds of Baylon, Kych, Cipaar and Nypour would remain under the control of the Kazitian Synod who in turn would bend knee and swear allegiance directly to Mars itself, while the worlds of Uruq and Laigach would be ceded to the Imperium, the new governor’s seat moving to Laigach’s inhabitable moon of Larza.

The Baylonian Conclave was officially dissolved and the system redesignated as Oteal, in honour of the lead negotiator, but tensions remained high between the new Imperial worlds and the absorbed Mechanicum ones.

The Horus Heresy

Even before the shocking actions of Istvaan filtered through to the Australis Ultima Sector, the situation in the Oteal System had degenerated to dangerous levels. Rumours of military build ups on the Kazitian loyal planets persisted along with the myth that Dur-Kazit was being secretly rebuilt, however without any evidence the systems Governor could take no direct action against the planets as they were sworn to the Red Planet and owed him no allegiance.

With the onset of civil war and the Fabricator General openly siding with Horus, the Kazitian Synod seized the opportunity and declared independence of the Imperium, reforming the Baylonian Conclave and began mobilising its military. Desperately outgunned the Governor immediately issued a recall to all Imperial forces in the System and requested aid form the Sub-Sector Governor in Centrumeh Gate.

Before the Kazitian forces were able to fully muster, a small armada translated into the system, but not in response to the Governor’s call for aid. It was a splinter element of a fleet loyal to the Warmaster on its way to the Trugoy System to prosecute another war of eradication against the Loyalists. Unsure of the situation and unwilling to engage two potential enemies the Kazitian navy maintained a defensive posture while attempts to communicate with the new player were sent.

Despairing at now having to face two potential hostile forces, the Imperial presence in the system began to prepare for the worst and readied themselves for invasion. Hope blossomed momentarily when a signal from the VIIth was received, confirming that they were en route and less than two days out, this message however was followed quickly by the Sub-Sector wide broadcast from the Imperium, instructing all Loyal fleets to the Trugoy System.

Known Planets

Baylon – Huge Forge World and former capital of the system, ruled by the Kazitian Synod

Kych – Desert Knight World comprising of city states, sworn to the Kazitian Synod

Cipaar (Amnam) – Flooded Knight World which used to be in a locked orbit with its near twin planet Cipaar (Yahrum), which was destroyed during the Kazitian Synods expansion resulting in the planet flooding, indentured to the Kazitian Synod

Nypour – Hive World laced with monuments from the native religion of the system, initially suppressed by the Kazitian Synod

Uruq – Desolate Hive World reclaimed by the Imperium after Compliance

Laigach – Agri World reclaimed by the Imperium after Compliance

Larza – Inhabitable Moon orbiting Laigach, designated as the Imperial seat of the system

Dur-Kazit – Former fortress world of the Kazitian Synod, utterly destroyed during the brief conflict enforcing Compliance.